Game apparatus



Mar. 3, 1925.

A. R. BOYCE GAME APPARATUS Filed Jaln.' 25, 1924 1N VEN TOR jlegxcmderjqyce.

W l TNESSES A TTORNE YS v- UNITED lSTATE:

ALEXANDER R. Boron, or FREEroRT, New YORK.

Patented Mar. 3, l1925. f Y

PATENT oFF T-3:12.? 'i I 1,528,739

lcs.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application led January 25, 1924. Serial No. 688,590.

To all whom t may 00m/em Be it knownthat I, ALEXANDER R. Boron, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Freeport, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in game apparatus and more particularly to a captive ball device which constitutes an apparatus forV practicing the game of golf, and more particularly fory indoor use although, of course, the device may be used outdoors aswell.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which will occupy but relatively small space, which will properly position the ball, which will allow the desired stroke, and which will automatically return the ball to its tee or normal position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims. I

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved apparatus;

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal section on a somewhat larger scale;

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an exaggerated fragmentary view of the base 1. Y

1 represents the base of my improved apparatus which may be of any suitable size and shape and may be of cast metal or any other suitable material which will give the necessary stability to the apparatus. This base 1 is formed in its under face with a longitudinal groove 2 which communicates at one end with a cylindrical opening 3, the wall of which at the top of base 1 constitutes an internally screw-threaded collar 4, into which a tubular casing 5 is screwed. In this casing 5, adjacent its lower end, I provide a fixed ring 6 which may be sccured in any approved manner. I have illustrated as a securing means screws 7 which project through the wall of the cas-` ing 5 and are screwed into the ring. The upper end of the casing 5 is normally closed .by .a removable Plug 8 A- .al Spring? .is

located in the casing 5 and bears at its lower end against the ring 6. The upper end of this spring 9 exerts pressure against a disk 10 having a screw-threaded opening 11 therein to receive a threaded rod 12. A nut 13 is located on the rod 12 above the disk 10 to permit adjustment of the tension of the spring as will hereinafter appear. The base 1 is formed on its upper face with a tee 14 to receive an ordinary golf ball 15. This tee 14 has an opening 16 therein extending through the base and communicating with the groove 2, and a wire, cable, or other liexible connecting device 17 is secured at one end to the ball 15 and extends through the groove 2 and the ring 6 and also centrally through the coil spring 9 and is se-` cured at its end to therod 12. To produce friction andv render the operation an easy one a pulley 18 is located in the opening 3 and a pulley 19 at the point of communication between the groove 2 and opening 16. over which the iexible connecting device 17 is mounted. To preventl injury to the cord by rubbing action on the base, I cut out the base, or re'c'ess the same, as shown at 20, which recess extends from the edge of the base to a point of communication with the opening 16, so that when the ball is struck it will be driven to one side of the base and can freely escape, drawing with it the flexible connecting device 17 through the recess 20, and in this movement the flexible connecting device will be free from frictioual engagement with the base.

In operation, the ball 15 is normally positioned as shown in the drawings` and when it is struck a blow by the golf stick, it will be forced from the tee 14 and laterally of the base. This movement ofk the ball will exert a pull on the flexible connecting device 17 to draw the` disk 10 downwardly and compress the spring 9, an-d when the force of the blow is overcome the spring 9 will l return the parts to normal position, bringing the ball 15 back upon the tee 14.

Hence, with such a device a player can practice indoors and become proficient in the use of his clubs. At the same time the apparatus will occupy but a small space and can be manufactured and sold at a reasonably low price.

Various slight changes and alterations might be made in the general form of the part-s described without departing from my c intenties, an@ .hence .1. le 'aat han? W591i to the precise details set forth but consider myself at liberty to make suchslight changes and alterations as fairly Yfall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a base, a tubular casing supported on the base and posit-ioned at an angle thereto, a coil spring in the casing, a ball adapted to te-e on the base, and a flexible device connecting the ball with the outer endiof the coil spring.

2. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a base having a groove in its under face and openings adjacent its respective ends, a casing secured on the base and communicating With one of the openings, a tee on the base communicating Withthe other of said openings and on Which agolfball is normally located, a coil spring in the casing, a disk on the upper end of the coil spring, a rod adjustable in the disk, and a flexible connecting device secured at one end to the rod and at its other end to the ball and movable through the groove in the base.

3. An apparatus ot the character described, comprising a base having a groove in its under face and openings adjacent its respective ends, a casing secured on theI base and communicating with one of the openings, a tee on the base communicating With the other of said openings and on which a golf ball is normally located, a coil spring in the casing, a disk on the upper end of the coil spring, a rod adjustable in the disk,

a flexible connecting devicesecured at one end to the rod and at itsV other end to the ball and movable through the groove in the base, pulleys in the base over which the lexible connecting device is movable, and a Vixed ring in the bottom of the casing supporting the spring.

4. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a base having a groove in its under face and openings adjacent its respective ends, a. casing secured on the base and communicating with one of the openings, a tee on the base communicating with the other of said openings and on which a golf ball is normally located, a coil spring in the casing, a disk on the upper end of the coil spring, a rod adjustable vin the disk` a iieXible connecting vde-vice secured at one end to the rod and at its other end to the ball and movable through the groove in the base, said casing removably screwed into the base, and a removable plug in the upper end of the casing.

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a base, a yvertically dis posed removable tubular casing on th-e base, a removable cap on the upper end of the casing, a coil spring Within the casing, a ball adapted to tee on the base, a flexible device connected to the ball, and adjustable means connecting the other end of the 'flexible device with the upper end of the spring whereby the tension of the spring on the ball can be varied.

ALEXANDER R. BOYCE. 

